General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Boston Globe - July 11, 2009
Op-Ed
Getting the T back on the right track

By Daniel Grabauskas | July 11, 2009

IT?S BEEN a roller coaster ride for public transportation in the United States over the past two years. Last year, there were 10.7 billion passenger trips on public transit services across the nation, a 52-year high. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority also experienced the busiest year in its history, with nearly 385 million trips made on T services. But something else has happened across the nation. Faced with soaring operating costs and growing budget deficits, major transit systems have been forced to implement drastic service cuts and/or significant fare increases. A variety of economic conditions have led to unprecedented revenue shortfalls and losses in ridership. Two key factors led to a deficit of $180 million in the T?s budget for the fiscal year that began this month.

Driving the MBTA?s revenue problems is the continued decline in the T?s leading source of revenue, state sales tax receipts. The sales tax has performed worse than the most pessimistic projections, and has grown at only 1 percent annually.

The unrestrained problem on the expense side of the ledger is the MBTA?s crushing $8 billion debt burden, a large portion of which is the result of transit projects that had to be built - by law - to mitigate the impact of the Big Dig. One-third of every dollar the MBTA collects is used to make the annual interest payments on that debt. In other words, $368 million in revenue this fiscal year will go - not toward the delivery of transit services - but to pay down debt.

While the primary reasons for the MBTA?s worsening financial condition are out of the authority?s control, it is reasonable to ask what steps we have taken to mitigate the budget problems. Much has been done to both control costs and increase non-fare revenues.

A hiring freeze led to a reduction of nearly 190 employees over the past 12 months, but more cuts were necessary, and that is why an additional 96 jobs were eliminated this spring. Layoffs affected those in managerial, supervisory, and clerical roles. These staff reductions, along with the cancellations of a number of contracts with outside service providers, will save the MBTA more than $8 million annually.

The implementation of the CharlieCard system is credited with capturing millions of dollars in additional fare revenue and reducing collection costs. Backed by a new state law, Transit Police and MBTA personnel are pursuing those who think they can slip onto the system without paying their fares. Thousands of fare evasion citations have been issued to scofflaws since the law took effect.

The MBTA has also:

◼Aggressively managed overtime costs, down 45 percent since 2005.

◼Successfully negotiated with four labor unions, which have voluntarily agreed to defer, for one year, 4 percent pay raises that were granted by an arbitrator last year.

◼ Frozen the salaries of managers for a fourth straight year.

◼ Lowered healthcare costs by more than $5 million annually by implementing higher employee co-payments (20 percent), and, for the first time, co-payments by retirees (15 percent).

◼ Implemented furloughs of three to five days for all non-union employees.

◼ Increased non-fare revenue from $54.4 million in fiscal 2000 to $84.7 million this fiscal year.

◼ Required MBCR (the firm that operates the commuter rail system) to pay up to $50,000 per month toward customer refunds for late-arriving trains.

◼ Reduced, by one-third, the number of ?take home?? cars by MBTA employees.

It?s important to acknowledge state lawmakers have backed public transportation, and taken legislative action that resulted in new revenues and needed reforms. In conjunction with Beacon Hill, the MBTA has taken a leading role in making the tough decisions that are required during these struggling economic times. But on our own, we can only do so much, and that?s why it?s necessary to consider additional steps at this point.

Next month, a series of public workshops will be held around the region so that MBTA customers can discuss the proposals to increase fares and/or cut service.

Obviously, neither choice is one that anyone wishes to make, but the T must identify a multiyear solution to its structural financial problems. It?s my hope that the workshops will be well attended so that everyone who cares about the future of the MBTA will have a voice in the decision-making process.

Daniel Grabauskas is general manager of the MBTA.
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Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Does the T still offer free rides outbound, on all above ground stations on the green lines? If they are, can I ask why?
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

They don't... That's changed.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Weasel420 said:
Does the T still offer free rides outbound, on all above ground stations on the green lines? If they are, can I ask why?
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Havent been in town since 2006 have we?
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

jass said:
Havent been in town since 2006 have we?
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Haha, I actually live in Medford for the specific reason that I wanted to avoid the green line at all costs. I havent been above ground on the green line since probably 2000. I hate it THAT much!
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

but the Green Line is coming to Medford.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Oh snap! Thankfully the Green Line Extension is more like the D line and less like the B line!
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

cden4 said:
Oh snap! Thankfully the Green Line Extension is more like the D line and less like the B line!
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I still maintain the Orange Line should have been extended up that way. I mean, you've got it right there.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Boston Globe - July 29, 2009
Charlie Card users get new online options

By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff | July 29, 2009

After nearly three years of waiting, MBTA commuters finally have the option to pay for their Charlie Cards online and register them in case they are lost or stolen.

?It?s really a menu of options to customize your card,?? said Daniel A. Grabauskas, the MBTA general manager.

The agency plans to announce the new system today with links on its website, www.mbta.com. Members of the MBTA technical team that designed the new system said yesterday that no transit agency in the nation offers as many custom options, though no single option is unique to the T.

Many riders have been asking for the online features since late 2006, when the MBTA promised its new automated fare system would allow online registration and bill payment.

Managers said the features took longer to install because the T had to comply with rigorous credit card industry standards for high volume accounts, and they wanted to add new features.

Options include the ability to add money to a fare card anonymously, for customers who are concerned about giving personal information to the MBTA. The T?s technical team said the system would verify credit card information with the bank when a purchase is made, but not store it. The account will be credited by 5 a.m. the following day.

Those who are willing to let the T store personal information will have more options, including the ability to cancel a Charlie Card if it is reported lost or stolen.

The T will send a new card in the mail, with its existing stored value, within three to five days, at no charge.

Those who want to get their cards faster will have to pay $13.95 for overnight delivery.

The new system will also allow users to link their fare cards with a credit card account that automatically deducts the price of a monthly fare pass five days before the end of each month.

The system also allows users to register multiple cards to a single account, so families can more easily manage their expenses.

Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com.
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Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I gotta hand it to the T on this one, their new fare system is much better than most of the ones I've used around the country, even NYC's system is showing it's age.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Boston.com - July 30, 2009
Google offers tool to help Boston's T riders
July 30, 2009 01:52 PM

By Jazmine Ulloa, Globe Staff

Google has built a big reputation on helping people navigate the virtual world of the Internet. Now it says it's going to help people get around the real world of Boston on MBTA trains, buses, and boats.

Through a partnership with Google Transit, T customers will now be able to calculate their route, transit time, and walking directions when using public transportation by logging on to Google Maps.

"This really makes a lot of information more accessible," Google Boston engineering director Steve Vinter said today at a news conference held at South Station to announce the technological advancement. "There are a lot of people like me who take the T work but do not know much about the transit system outside of that."

MBTA and local officials lauded MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas's leadership on the project. Grabauskas, who in recent days has found his ability as general manager questioned by Governor Deval Patrick, answered questions from a cluster of reporters after the conference. But Grabauskas kept the politic comments short, saying the recent controversy should not distract from the day's announcement.
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Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

That's awesome. I remember looking at Google Maps and even St. Louis' Metrolink had this feature (or some function of it), I was surprised that the T didn't.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

It's about time. I've found this to be a fantastic tool in cities where it's set up.
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Boston Globe - July 31, 2009
Fare hike would cut ridership on MBTA
Agency would still gain funds, report says

By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff | July 31, 2009

Just one year after a record number of passengers flocked to the MBTA, the agency has come back to earth, as the price of gas has declined and the economy soured. And it can expect to lose another 5 percent of its riders if a proposed 19.5 percent fare hike is approved, according to a new state analysis.

Even that estimate could prove to be optimistic. The same state analysts predicted a 5 percent drop in riders before the last fare hike, in 2007, only to see an even larger dip: 9.5 percent fewer trips in the first year.

?Gas prices and the economy are going to dictate what that decline is and then when the rebound is,?? said Daniel A. Grabauskas, general manager of the MBTA.

The analysis, conducted by a state government planning department that is independent of the T, also predicts that the fare hike, if approved, would result in a minimal impact on clean air, in part because analysts estimate that one-fourth of those who quit using the T will walk.

And they say the effect on poor and minority neighborhoods would not be disproportionate, based on an analysis that considers factors such as the modes of transportation available in different neighborhoods and their costs.

Despite losing passengers, the T can expect to generate $69 million more from the higher prices, according to the analysis.

The report from the Central Transportation Planning Staff acknowledges the predictions are inexact, and it includes a second method of analysis that estimates a smaller drop in passengers, 2.6 percent, as well as a different revenue gain. But those figures are considered less likely.

The report?s chief author, Elizabeth M. Moore, declined to comment.

Passenger counts at the T have dropped since last summer?s records, achieved when gas was zooming to more than $4 per gallon. A weak economy traditionally leads to a decline in public transit use, as fewer commuters have regular jobs. The T currently counts about 1.2 million passenger trips on an average weekday, with each segment of a rail or a bus ride considered a separate trip.

The MBTA is scheduled to hold a series of public hearings on the fare hike in August.

Grabauskas said the increase would probably take effect in January, although it could start in December.

The T is offering riders an opportunity to comment on possible cuts in service that would reduce the size of the hike. But Secretary of Transportation James A. Aloisi Jr., who chairs the T board, has said he believes that riders would prefer to pay more than lose bus routes or have less frequent subway and train service.

The fare debate comes as Grabauskas?s future is in doubt, following a public fight with Aloisi and a highly critical letter from three other members of the eight-member board that oversees the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Transit advocates, although watching the leadership fight, are immediately focused on the fare hike, with several organizations saying this week that they fear it would have direr impacts than predicted.

Taisha O?Bryant, chairwoman of the T Riders Union, said minority and low-income riders would certainly take a hit if fares go up.

?I?m one of them,?? she said, pointing out that she would struggle to pay more for her monthly pass.

Environmental groups say they are also taking a closer look at the clean air estimates in the report, worrying that it assumes that too many people who leave public transit would walk instead of drive.

?It?s really going to change what it?s like to get around Boston and the Greater Boston area,?? said Noah Chesnin of the Conservation Law Foundation.

The price of a monthly Link Pass with access to bus and subway would rise from $59 to $69. Monthly passes for senior citizens and students would also go up, from $20 to $24.

Those who use cash for a single bus or subway ride would be hit hardest, with fares rising by 50 cents to $2 and $2.50 respectively. Single rides with a Charlie Card would continue to cost less, going from $1.25 to $1.50 for a bus ride and from $1.70 to $2 for the subway.

Commuter rail fares, which are divided into numerous zones, would rise to as much as $280 per month, a $30 increase.

Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com.
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Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I don't mind the subway/bus fare increases, but raising prices on the commuter rail is a horrible idea. When you live in a city or major metropolitan area public transportation is always an option. But in the suburbs or areas more rural it's supposed to be a cheaper more convenient alternative to driving. Most people who take the commuter rail pay for parking everyday (which was already raised recently) and then on top of that pay the ridiculous monthly pass. The MBTA should NOT raise fares on the commuter rail to encourage ridership in areas that mostly rely on the automobile. I just don't want to the commuter rail fall anymore than it has over the last year or so..
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I'm not sure if this goes for all lines, but I know at least the Plymouth/Kingston line is operating pretty close to maximum capacity, so I don't think that demand is really going to go down. The price jump does seem disproportionally large, but I suppose the alternative was cutting off weekend service...
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

I thought the alternative was raising the sales tax. ^
 
Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. :mad:


Boston.com - August 6, 2009
Embattled MBTA chief resigns

By Matt Viser, Martin Finucane, Andrea Estes, and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

Daniel A. Grabauskas, whose tenure as general manager of the MBTA was marred by two trolley crashes on the Green Line and financial troubles, has resigned.

Grabauskas's resignation is effective today, Transportation Secretary James A. Aloisi Jr. told reporters this evening after a lengthy meeting of the MBTA's board to discuss Grabauskas's fate.

"I'm happy we can get back on track, no pun intended," said Aloisi, who also chairs the board.

MBTA general counsel William Mitchell will serve as acting general manager until a permanent general manager can be found, Aloisi said.

Aloisi said that the board and Grabauskas had come to an agreement in which the agency would buy out the rest of his employment contract, which still had another nine months to go. With deferred compensation, vacation days, and other add-ons, the value of the buyout comes to $327,487, he said.

The MBTA board met for a total of more than four hours in executive session this afternoon and evening, discussing Grabauskas's fate, before Aloisi emerged to say that Grabauskas had stepped down.

The move comes after Governor Deval Patrick questioned the management of the public transit agency. Grabuaskas's backers, who include legislative leaders and members of the T board, praised his work leading the agency and say Patrick's campaign to remove him is purely political. Grabauskas was a holdover from the administration of Republican Governor Mitt Romney, while Patrick is a Democrat.

The Globe reported today that Aloisi was pushing members to place Grabauskas on a paid administrative leave as the Patrick administration maneuvered his ouster.

The board meeting this afternoon began with a call for civility from Aloisi, who quoted Thomas Jefferson and urged members "to rise above heated words" in an escalating row with Grabauskas.

"I will not do to others what has often been done to me," Aloisi said during the public portion of the meeting at the state Transportation Building. "Questions about motive or character have no place in this discussion."

Earlier today, Patrick confirmed he had asked former John Hancock chief executive officer David D'Alessandro to conduct a "top to bottom review" of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Patrick said on WTKK-FM's show "Ask the Governor" that he had asked D'Alessandro to "gather a couple of others who know their way around managing large organizations and complex finances to give us some fresh eyes" on the agency. The board later in the afternoon approved such a study.

Asked by talk show host Jim Braude if Grabauskas would be fired today, Patrick said, "With due respect to the general manager, he is not my first concern. My first concern is the safety of the riders and the competence of the financial oversight at the MBTA and I think there's some serious question on both those fronts."

Before being appointed by Romney as MBTA general manager, Grabauskas served as head of the state's Registry of Motor Vehicles, where he earned a reputation as a "Mr. Fix-It for improving service. He also served as transportation secretary. His ascent in government began when Republican Governor Paul Cellucci in 1998 elevated him from chief of staff in the economic affairs office to consumer affairs director.

But two crashes, a May 2008 crash in Newton that killed a trolley operator, and a May 2009 crash in which dozens were injured near Government Center, cast a shadow over his administration. And federal safety officials compounded the problem by denouncing the MBTA's "lack of a safety culture" last month as they released a report on the 2008 incident.
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